Android: Some apps in Android can enter what’s known as “immersive mode” which hides your buttons and status bar, giving you extra space. This Tasker action lets you enable this mode for any app whenever you need it.

Android: If you use public transit to get to work, Google will sometimes let you know if your train is delayed. However, it might not tell you until you get to the station. This Tasker action can help by letting you make on-demand requests to find out.

Android: Google Maps can remember a lot of things for you, like where you live or your favorite restaurants. However, it doesn’t remember your preferences to avoid toll roads or highways by default. Fix that with this Tasker action.

Wouldn’t it be cool if your phone knew to enter airplane mode when you go to the theater, or text your spouse when you leave work? IFTTT and Tasker can automate countless tasks like these to turn your phone into an attentive personal assistant. Today, we’re putting them both in the ring to see which one’s better at…

Android (Tasker): You’re driving home, rocking out to Queen, and suddenly Facebook interrupts your music to let you know you have a new comment. Your rhythm is now ruined. Fortunately Tasker can save you and your groove with this action.

Android: Half of the immense power of Tasker comes from third-party plugins. AutoNotification allows you to create powerful notification panels with Tasker. The newest version can even add over 50 buttons to a single notification.

Android (root): If you have a giant phone and aren’t Mr. Fantastic, you might have trouble reaching the top of your phone’s screen sometimes. This clever workaround for root users can bring the top of your phone to your fingers instead.

Chrome: Cortana is a pretty awesome voice assistant for Windows 10. If you run Android, you’re probably also used to Google Now being pretty great as well. Now, AutoRemote allows you to control your Android phone with Cortana.

Android: With Tasker, you can create a custom Google Now command for just about anything. Android Wear allows you to trigger regular Google Now commands from your wrist, and now Auto Wear allows you to do the same with those custom voice commands.

Pushbullet, the service that acts as a bridge between your mobile and desktop OSes, sets the gold standard for developer updates. If you haven't used it recently (or ever), this is a great time to check out all the cool stuff it can do.

Android: You might wish your favorite music app had a sleep timer option to turn the music off after a set amount of time, or resent having an extra alarm clock app on your phone just so you can wake to your favorite music. There's no reason to download special apps for these features when you can just set them up…

Android: Tasker plugins are increasingly the coolest parts of Tasker. AutoInput—another plugin from the same developer that brought us the amazing AutoVoice—allows you to automate every single swipe, tap, and keystroke to your heart's content.

We've talked before about how to use AutoVoice, the excellent Tasker plugin, to create a custom voice command for anything on Android. Now, the plugin allows you to tie those commands directly into Google Now, so you can trigger anything you want with a simple "Ok, Google."

We've discussed why smart thermostats are awesome, but if you already have one, you know how easy it can be to control with your phone. If you're an Android user, a little Tasker and AutoVoice action will let you control your thermostat with your phone as well.

Android: Apps like Tasker are fantastic to turn your Android into an automated beast, but even with Tasker's new UI, they can be a little daunting. Plus, they're restricted to "And" clauses instead of "And/Or". Automated Device is a new app that brings in this feature along with several others, and makes it easy to…

Android: Magus, the previously mentioned app that lets you control your phone with physical gestures (by turning it over, flipping it sideways, and so on) unveiled a new version that can send mail, mute or record audio, offers better gesture recognition, an improved interface, and more.